Barely week to go, no word from education board

JALANDHAR:With barely a week to go for the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) board exams, set to start on February 28, the Education Department in the district is still groping in the dark about the list of the centres and the staff deputed for duties at various centres.

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 19

With barely a week to go for the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) board exams, set to start on February 28, the Education Department in the district is still groping in the dark about the list of the centres and the staff deputed for duties at various centres.

Also, the process for the installation of the CCTV cameras (a much-touted move by the Education Secretary announced last year), is yet to begin. While there is apprehension both in the teaching community as well as students regarding the stricter norms announced for the exams, sources in the department said what would actually count was the strictness with which these were implemented.

A teacher in the district said, “Students are certainly apprehensive. The guidelines appear very strict and it is having a psychological effect on them. However, among the stubborn ones, the scare is lesser. Many students still assume they will get away with cheating like they have done in previous years. It will all come down to the day of exams. So far, the CCTVs have also not been installed at any of the centres. So, students are naturally assuming the exams will be a piece of cake.”

Another district teacher said, “While the superintendent for the centre is being deputed from outside, the supervisors shall be the staff of the school itself. Supervisors (staff) from a neighbouring school can easily be affected. So, the department has to be very careful that no room is left for any kind of cheating.”

Anil Kumar Awasthi, Deputy DEO, said, “From duties to centre lists to CCTV cameras, the department hasn’t issued any formal instructions so far. The board is keeping it all very hushed. We have no instructions so far about which at centres the CCTVs shall be installed. Meanwhile, the duty lists shall be released on the department portal probably days before the exams.”